Military History Museums in Los Angeles

Even though LA hasn't seen a lot of military action, Los Angeles has a variety of museums that document and interpret military history from the Revolutionary War to WWII and the Cold War, and include exhibits of more modern military vehicles, planes, and multiple ships.

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Fort MacArthur Military Museum Association

Fort MacArthur Museum in San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA — Screenshot of Bing Map

Address

3601 S Gaffey St, San Pedro, CA 90731-6969, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 310-241-0846

Web Visit website

The Fort MacArthur Museum at Battery Osgood-Farley in San Pedro focuses on the history of Fort MacArthur, a U.S. Army post which guarded the Los Angeles harbor between 1914 to 1974. Multiple buildings house exhibits on harbor defense and home-front activities in Southern California.

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American Military Museum

Address

1918 Rosemead Blvd, South El Monte, CA 91733-2948, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 626-442-1776

Web Visit website

The American Military Museum (AKA Tank Land or the Tank Museum) at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in El Monte has an extensive collection of inter-service military equipment from WWI through Desert Storm. Nearly 200 vehicles from tanks to amphibious vehicles and bomb loaders.

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USS Iowa Battleship Museum

USS Iowa in San Pedro, Los Angeles, CA — Kayte Deioma

Address

250 S Harbor Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90731, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 877-446-9261

Web Visit website

The USS Iowa Battleship Museum is an actual WWII battleship you can visit in San Pedro in the Port of Los Angeles. The battleship is not wheelchair accessible.

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SS Lane Victory

Address

3011 Miner St, San Pedro, CA 90731, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 310-519-9188

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The SS Lane Victory is another museum ship located in the Port of Los Angeles. She's a WWII merchant cargo ship that served through the Vietnam War.

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Sons of the Revolution Library

Sons of the Revolution American Heritage Museum in Glendale, CA — Screenshot of Google Street View

Address

600 S Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91204-2009, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 818-240-1775

Web Visit website

The Sons of the Revolution in the State of California has an American Heritage Library and Museum in Glendale. The Library specializes in genealogical and early American history resources with emphasis on the Colonial and Revolutionary War period. It also has a fine collection of 18th and 19th-century vital records, family histories, American military history and English genealogy.

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Western Museum of Flight

Address

3315 Airport Dr, Torrance, CA 90505-6152, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 310-326-9544

Web Visit website

The Western Museum of Flight is not exclusively military aircraft, but they do have Warbirds, aircraft and target drones, piston and jet aircraft engines, aircraft components, aircraft ejection seats, World War II instruments, aircrew accessories, and an extensive model aircraft collection.

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Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing

Address

455 Aviation Dr #9501, Camarillo, CA 93010, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 805-482-0064

Web Visit website

The Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing operates an Aviation Museum, also known as the WWII Aviation Museum, at the Camarillo Airport with planes from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam. Daily except for Monday. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday visitors can observe ongoing restoration work. They are always working on different planes, so you may see different planes on different visits.

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The Queen Mary

Address

1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 877-342-0738

Web Visit website

In addition to her years as a luxury ocean liner, the Queen Mary served as a troop transport during WWII. The Queen Mary attraction includes a few exhibits and film reels on her military history. Also at the Queen Mary is the Russian Foxtrot Submarine Scorpion. You can't go inside the submarine anymore, but you can still see it.

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Drum Barracks Civil War Museum

Address

1052 N Banning Blvd, Wilmington, CA 90744, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 310-548-7509

Web Visit website

The Drum Barracks Civil War Museum elucidates the role of Los Angeles and California in the Civil War. It is located in the 1862 Drum Barracks Junior Officers’ Quarters, built on land donated by Phineas Banning to create a Union presence in Southern California during the war.

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Martial Arts History Museum

Address

2319 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 818-478-1722

Web Visit website

Learn about the history of martial arts and relevant weaponry in Asia and its influence in the US at this North Hollywood museum.

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The Wende Museum

Address

10808 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230-3738, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 310-216-1600

Web Visit website

The Wende Museum in Culver City is a collection of artifacts, documents and personal histories related to Eastern Europe and Russia during the Cold War. Exhibits include furnishings and design objects, visual arts, textiles, films, and books.

Military History in LA: From the Revolutionary War to Modern Tanks